Assassin series RE: Often you are your own best friend
by Askre5
Summary: 2k3-Leo talks a little about the counterparts he's so far met. One-Shot


**A/N:** Story originally written and posted on. 05/02 2010

I'm not sure how this one started. Just suddenly I felt I needed a short story with 2k3-Leo talking little about the counterpart's he met so far. 80's-Leo, Rogue, Lereth the Jumper and Movie Leonardo, not to mention the Assassin.

So yeah here it is.

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 **Disclaimer and Legal stuff:**  
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles®, including Raphael®, Michelangelo®, Leonardo®, Donatello®, April O'Neil®, and Splinter® are registered trademarks of Viacom International Inc. Based on characters and comic books created by Peter A. Laird and Kevin B. Eastman.

I do not own them in other words.

This story is written purely as a homage to the Teenage Mutant Turtles and not meant for any commercial profit or infringement on copyright. This story will immediately be removed if Viacom International wishes so.

AU turtles in all their varety are based off the TMNT.

The story, is copyright © 2010 by Hermann Gunnar Sigurðsson (Askre).

 **Story rated K**

 **This story is canon to the Assassin series.**

 **To fully understand this story, being familiar with the Assassin's series is advisable.**

 _Sum: 2k3-Leo talks a little about the counterparts he's so far met._

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 **Often you are your own best friend**

I remember so vividly when I first met the assassin. How disturbing it was to see someone wearing my gear, looking and talking almost exactly like me. I've faced many enemies, fought opponents that could well have killed me and my brothers if not for our training, if not for our strong bonds as brothers. However, the assassin, he truly has tested us, both what we have learned as ninjas and as a family.

It's hard to imagine that someone who used to be essentially me could turn so dark. Attack his own family and nearly destroy it. Shatter the bonds he had with them and abandon them like some undesirable garbage.

Yet there he was, Leonardo Assassin and Bounty hunter. Not only did he live a life so similar to mine, his brothers told me that I might end up facing a similar situation that he did. The one that changed him forever and they were right, I did. I do not know if subconsciously their warnings guided us, or if by some pure luck I simply took the opposite path. Then again, there were key differences in how we were faced by this choice.

We both hurt our master by accident and that made our fathers realize it was time to let us go and be taught by another. However, the assassin didn't take it so well and stormed out of the lair, never to be seen again. I did not; I remained and allowed my Master Splinter to explain himself. One of the most feared criminals in the multiverse abducted the Assassin, while I took a ship to Japan to be taught by the Ancient One.

The Assassin became feared in his own right but not among the general populace. No in his world, he is a hero, hailed and loved. No, he struck fear among the criminals and anyone who might risk getting a bounty on their heads. He would hunt them down relentlessly and deliver them dead or alive to whomever paid him. He was also rumored to assassinate and usually anyone who was unlucky enough to be sighted by his rifle was killed.

However, he did not just hunt bounty. He did not just strike fear in those he was paid to hunt or kill. Assassin Leonardo went against others, targets closer to home so to speak. He regularly went in search of, tracked down and either attacked or abducted his own counterparts.

Don told me of his hobby room, though probably a trophy room would be description that is more accurate. A room where the four walls were all littered with pictures, framed images of his favorite prey, us, his counterparts. Some tortured and abused in various twisted manner, others simply attacked on the rooftops of their worlds without any provocation.

I'm not his first victim nor was I the last. Nobody knows who the first Leonardo was to have the 'honor' of meeting the Assassin. But his brother, General Magistrate Raphael has said I do seem to be one of his favorites, at least I can definitely say that he's dealt with me and my family the most.

During those events, I started to make friends I never imagined I would make in all my life. I've heard the saying that you often are your own best friend, but I think my brothers and I can honestly say we can take that phrase quiet literally. Because thanks to our shared history with the Assassin, I count now four turtles who also go by the name Leonardo as my friends.

The first one of them I met had been abducted along with is brothers by the Assassin. They spent five grueling and horrible months in his company. They were all four tormented, tortured and abused in various manners. But their own Leonardo, their leader was treated the worst. He was so viciously abused and humiliated that at times we feared he was lost forever. The scars subjected to him still linger within his mind. They may never heal fully.

Leonardo was the anchor of his team, the one who kept them focused on their tasks. He and his brothers were in contrast to my brothers and I, far lighter hearted for lack of any proper term to describe it. They handled their enemies differently; even their Raphael hardly lost his temper.

My letter-wearing friend had been abducted by him before and he still carries the physical scars from that stay. The Assassin has a very disturbing interest in that particular counterpart. I've been told that even though he has viciously tormented counterparts before, even to brink of suicide. None has been as horribly humiliated and abused as the L wearing turtle has.

However, despite the abuse, despite the deep mental scars and the constant reminders the physical ones are for him. Leonardo refuses to let it destroy him. He fights on and has managed to gain for the most part his confidence and dedication again. He's faced his tormentor now many times and only to come out stronger as a result.

Maybe it is the lighthearted nature of his family that has helped him survive. I must admit that had we met under other circumstances, without the "aid" of the assassin. I would probably been taken aback how his world works and how he and his brothers acted at times. Now I appreciate more these differences between our two worlds. Because for all I know, that may have just helped him on his long road to recovery.

Leonardo is a very honorable and kind person but can be just as tough as any ninja. But if we really want to talk tough and even rough, then we have to go to his complete opposite. Rogue.

Now how do you describe Rogue? All right he's honorable in his own way, but he is rough and with an attitude you would more expect Raph to portray. This foulmouthed turtle can make the hardiest sailors blush with his mouth alone; he really has no shame and takes absolutely no nonsense from anyone.

He really confused me at first, he too had a personal history with the Assassin but he's the only one who can claim never having been truly attacked by him. No Rogue did not get abducted or spontaneously confronted by him. Rogue Leonardo actually fell in love with him.

Yes, Rogue was not just a very unique counterpart; he had a different attitude towards the Assassin. He was more like a hurt and betrayed lover who was just shoved aside, while the rest of us were tormented victims. I am not sure if my foulmouthed friend still loves the Assassin, I think most of it has changed into resentment and hate. He never talks very kindly about him and I now know that when he uses extremely strong curse words about someone, he does not like that person.

Rogue is though more loyal and dedicated than he gives himself credit for. He becomes very protective of those he has decided to care about, to the point of actually throwing himself in harms way if it will help. He shows affection by throwing insults at those he knows can take them and he can be respectful to those that have earned his trust.

I guess his rough life has been a major contributing factor of his attitude. He and his brothers fought really bloody battles against their enemies the Jade Dragons. He even was once captured by them and cruelly altered so they could torment him longer and harder. It hardened him up, he had to be rough to survive and that's probably why he's so far fared the best of us when meeting the Assassin.

The Assassin probably just expected to meet another honorable and kindhearted counterpart. Not a rough, tough, street hardened counterpart who could hurl insults with the best of them, that barrels into battle with just as eager grin as any good Raphael. I'm very glad to be able to call him my friend. Probably several have regretted getting this particular Leonardo mad at them. Rogue is not a turtle to be on the bad side of.

Speaking of turtles one better not mess with, though he is not a true counterpart I've considered it an honor to call him that. He is just as honorable as any good Leonardo. The last living member of the ancient turtle race the Dark Sliders, Lereth the ancient cyborg

I've only recently gotten to know this turtle, another cyborg friend Cyborg Raphael knows him a bit better. But I've clearly seen what this guy is capable of and it's quite impressive. He's clearly been built for combat and he does not use it sparingly.

But despite the hardware, there is a very noble and honorable reptile underneath it all. You can hear it when he talks that he is old and been around for a long time. He's shaped by so many events that it's hard to truly describe him.

He took the mantle of Leonardo after witnessing a counterpart of ours falling in battle to save his family. He chose to honor that turtle by taking his name and he was accepted into that family. Lereth for the first time in a very long time belonged somewhere, only to have it robbed away by another counterpart hunter, Gray Michelangelo.

Lereth spent 16 years hunting him down and in the meantime came across the Assassin. They fought briefly but the Jumper was intent on his original prey and never gave him a second thought. That probably saved the Assassin's life, because I have a suspicion that Lereth is not easily defeated if you don't have the proper tools around.

Gray Michelangelo finally made the fatal mistake. He attacked Rogue's brothers and chased the one who escaped him and his brothers. Right to the world my foul-mouthed friend was living in and waiting there was the Jumper who had somehow anticipated their arrival. Lereth has never told us how he did that.

Rogue was more than happy to demonstrate that he will not have his brothers attacked and murdered without a fight. Gray Michelangelo was killed and Lereth's mission was over.

Our paths would then cross again later and once that was over I was happy to take him in as one of us. He's showed he's well worthy of being called Leonardo, though he's allowed us to call him by his real name, just to avoid confusion.

I'm now brought to the most recent counterpart I've met. Much like Lereth, the Assassin did not abduct him but fought him briefly before leaving him. this Leonardo was hunted all around New York City before finally meeting face to face with our black-wearing counterpart.

That Leonardo took it very personally. So personally that he, once the opportunity came, went on his own hunt to hunt down the Assassin and stop him from attacking any other counterparts. I must admit I was not that surprised a counterpart would be hunting for the Assassin but that I would end up meeting him hadn't really crossed my mind.

However, Leonardo was not obsessed with his hunt; he was careful and didn't just rush around. When we met, I was confronting the Assassin and had become injured. Leo didn't even bother trying to chase him when he fled, but instead opted to tend to me and my injuries. He was quite surprised to learn of my history with our common enemy.

His family did though not extend just to three brothers and a sensei. He was actually married and had an adoptive daughter. That might have explained his more careful nature; he wouldn't want to disappear forever on his wife.

We never really had to team up regarding the assassin; instead, we ended up being on the same investigation team regarding the chaos in the underworld. Leonardo had his own skills, showing he was a veteran in dimension travelling, he knew at least one alien language and was able get confirmation of how involved one of the Underworld lords was.

He clearly had his goals straight. I had personally never really thought much about it myself, neither had our L-wearing friend or Rogue. It was he who rallied us together to go and confront the assassin once the whole underworld chaos was over; all five of us even Lereth. I had always felt it was dangerous to confront the assassin. He guarded his secrets relentlessly. But Leonardo told me that we can't let him control what we do and we had better show him that we were no longer going to let him push us around, it was time to push back.

Once that was all over and not too surprisingly, the assassin had fled when faced with the overwhelming odds of five against him, I felt oddly good about it. But had we really finally stuck up against him? Or had we just asked for more trouble over us.

My attitude may stem more from that I have just wanted to forget about the assassin. Block him out, just be glad he isn't currently messing in my life or my friends and family. Leonardo on the other hand did not want to forget; he was determined to stop the assassin and has now joined forced with Ninja Master Donatello.

He told me that his determination is not just because he was attacked by him. No, he could live with the scars. What he couldn't live with was that he could have stopped the assassin, prevented him from attacking someone else. The assassin had attacked him as a mere detour, just while he waited for the right time to strike at another counterpart. I learned when first meeting Leonardo that the counterpart turned out to be me

But even if he has his goals and is driven by his determination he still does not let it cloud his priorities. The moment he heard his wife's tormentor had escaped from jail he dropped everything regarding the assassin. He even agreed to join in on the investigations since it involved the escaped enemy of his family.

So those are my four friends, my four counterparts. We are tied together by our joint history with the assassin and in many ways I'm glad that I can call onto them in the fight against him.

Plus the mental image of the assassin having to face so many counterparts is just so good.

 **The End**


End file.
